Assad: Syria belongs to Syrians

The Syrian president has stressed that the Assad family does not own Syria and that the country belongs to the people

Bashar Al Assad, the Syrian President, has in an interview today with the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) spoken in depth about the country status and the involvement of Western countries in the ongoing conflict.

Asked about an Assad historically always being in executive power, the President reiterated that he is not an heir but an elected President. He also said the rhetoric of “he succeeded his father” and “his father put him in that position” has been spread by the West since his election.

He told journalists that should the Syrians choose another President, he would readily accept it.

I don’t have to be aside, I would be aside … because of the Constitution … and the decision of the Syrian people.”

On the question of whether he was grateful for the contribution of the Belgian government in the fight against Daesh, Assad answered, “To be frank, no.”

When you talk about contribution against ISIS … there was no cooperation against ISIS.”

He described the American alliance against ISIS as an “illusive alliance” since ISIS continued to grow during that period. He also called the operation “illegal” as the Syrian government was not consulted and thus tantamount to a “breach of Syria’s sovereignty”. As the operation failed to prevent the deaths of Syrians, the President asked what there was to be grateful for.

On the destruction of Aleppo and whether the operation would have been carried out differently, Assad said that the government had used ” every possible way … to bring people to the negotiating table”. He also stated that the terrorists are not willing to dialogue and ” don’t accept anything …related to civil state or civil country.”

He however agrees that on an individual level, ” if someone wants to change his course … we are ready to accept him” on condition that he gives up his armament.

Assad disagrees that the war would have been avoidable.

There was bad intention regarding the different countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, France, UK, and the US in order to destabilize Syria, so it wasn’t about the Syrians… they were the ones who took the initiative in order to wage this war.”

He also believes that despite the victories in Aleppo and Wadi Barada, the European governments have not changed their minds concerning the Syrian government and that they continuously supported al-Nusra and ISIS under titles such as moderates and humanitarians. He maintains that they should stop supporting terrorists that have no public support in Syria.

If you ask any Syrian the same question, he will tell you,

No, we don’t accept, those countries supported the people who destroyed our country, we don’t want them to be here.”

That the responsibilities of war crimes should be judged by the ICC in the Hague, the Syrian government remains wary.

We have to defend our country by every means, and when we have to defend it by every means, we don’t care about this court, or any other international institution.”

The Syrian president believes that because of the American, French and British influence in the UN, the institutions are biased. According to Bashar, they do not work for the stability of the World nor look for the truth, instead, they are politicized to meet the agendas of the named countries.

On that basis, Syria does not accept the position of the United Nations.

Most of the positions are biased … regarding most of the resolutions against Syria …That is why for the first time maybe for Russia and China to take so many vetoes in few years, because they know this reality. So, no, we don’t accept, we don’t accept”.

In conclusion, Bashar Al Assad said

For me, as president, when I do my duty, the same for the government and for the army, to defend our country … “